Dan’s Daily: Buyout Candidates; Trade Talks Pick Up; Penguins Future

After last week’s NHL combine, general managers say the conversations are increasing, and the NHL trade chatter is getting more intense. Daily Faceoff published their list of the top buyout candidates, the Toronto Maple Leafs let go of a big-name assistant coach, and we look at what is realistic and what fans should expect going forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I decided to beat the heat, at least for a day or two. Below are my whereabouts up north. I tried to stop at a little motel along the way on Rt. 6, but it was full (the owner said he didn’t have a cleaning crew on Sunday, but the open room looked pretty good. Uh, no thanks!), so I wound up in my favorite little town of Wellsboro.

I stopped more than I usually do, taking pictures of some of the more interesting scenes along the way. Potter County has the best rolling hills and mountainscapes for a little amateur photography. Someday, I’ll find out what this abandoned building was–it’s on Rt. 666 in Endeavor, PA (just beyond Tionesta and near Tidoute), but there’s not much evidence of there ever being a thriving community. So what was this large building?

Next stop … Parts unknown.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Perhaps. Maybe. Possibly, it’s time to consider adjusting expectations regarding the core three and the Penguins. Is talking about winning a Stanley Cup realistic, or is it time to accept that merely being competitive is acceptable? Here’s a look at what comes next for the Penguins franchise.

I knew the headline would draw a lot of comments before folks read it. Seriously, stop that!

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Jason Delay is a terrible name for a baseball player, but he brought the bat, and it turned the game. The Buccos won the rubber match with the Colorado Rockies. Here’s the happy details from the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 win.

Remember Tyler Glasnow? He doesn’t really remember you. John Perrotto is writing a series of stories about the Pirates’ opponents and some former Bucs. Check it out — Glasnow’s time with the Pirates is but a faint memory.

Steelers Now: OK, our guys got a look at the 90. Now, they’re projecting who you’re going to see this fall—the 53-man roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Ottawa Citizen: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios said the trade chatter is picking up. The GMs are talking. And things are getting serious.

DFO: The buyout candidates. I don’t necessarily agree with Frank Seravalli’s No. 1 candidate (Pierre-Luc Dubois), but he makes a good case. There are a handful of others, including Joonas Korpisalo and Barclay Goodrow. Seravalli even mentions Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. Here’s their list.

If Goodrow hit the UFA market, that would be an interesting pickup for the Penguins, at the right price, of course. However, he had only four goals in 80 games. But why does he score so many in the playoffs?

Sportsnet: Guy Boucher has had a wild ride as an NHL coach. The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube as the head coach a few weeks ago, and now Boucher is out of a job.

We’ve been waiting for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to make their hire. It hasn’t materialized yet, despite a report linking former Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny to the job. I don’t know if Boucher would enter the mix or not. He was unemployed for five years, between being axed in Ottawa and being hired as an assistant in Toronto (at least according to Wikipedia and Elite Prospects’ bio page).

TSN: For those of you into the draft, prospect Sam Dickinson of the London Knights isn’t shy about telling you about himself, “I don’t think there’s a D that has everything that I have.” OK then. Here’s more from one of the top defensemen in the 2024 NHL draft class.

I’m not sure if I love or hate that attitude. He’s going to get popped by a veteran, and then he’ll quickly learn the quantum leap between the OHL and the AHL or even the NHL. But I do like the spirit.

Florida Hockey Now: We’re back for Game 5 in Florida after Edmonton absolutely stomped Florida in Game 4. Have things changed in the series? Connor McDavid says the Edmonton Oilers have no pressure in Game 5.

Philly Hockey Now: Sure, I’d take a chance. Morgan Frost–the player John Tortorella called “a toilet seat” last season because he was up and down, up and down–had a bit of a breakout season this year. However, that only means his name is more prominent in the NHL trade rumors.

Boston Hockey Now: I post this because it’s parallel to the Penguins. The young players, the next generation, are arriving. Despite going for it every year, the next wave of the Boston Bruins is about ready.

Now to decide where to go next. Anywhere with a higher elevation and lots of shade.